KRT12
Function
Involved in corneal epithelium organization, integrity and corneal keratin expression.
Involvement in disease
Corneal dystrophy, Meesmann 1
MECD1
A form of Meesmann corneal dystrophy, a corneal disease characterized by fragility of the anterior corneal epithelium. Histological examination shows a disorganized and thickened epithelium with widespread cytoplasmic vacuolation and numerous small, round, debris-laden intraepithelial cysts. Patients are usually asymptomatic until adulthood when rupture of the corneal microcysts may cause erosions, producing clinical symptoms such as photophobia, contact lens intolerance and intermittent diminution of visual acuity. Rarely, subepithelial scarring causes irregular corneal astigmatism and permanent visual impairment. MECD1 inheritance is autosomal dominant.
None
The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry.
Sequence Similarities
Belongs to the intermediate filament family.
Tissue Specificity
Expressed in the corneal epithelium (at protein level).
Alternative names
Cytokeratin-12, Keratin-12, CK-12, K12, KRT12